An Ode to IPS Discord
by fullmoonrisin
Summary: A collection of offscreen arguments, fights, and minor disagreements. Better than the summary makes it sound. Part two is up!
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys! I got an interesting Idea from reading one of the IPS "snippets" fics floating around in the archive. It's basically a collection of off-screen arguments between various characters. I hope you enjoy, as always! I own nothing.

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><p>The clunking of two pairs of boots followed by a buzz could be heard as the two Marshals entered their Witsec office at the top of the Sunshine building. One of them was bearing coffee, and the other was bearing an irritated look of anticipation.<p>

"I noticed you decided to forego the tip again." Marshall spoke up casually, taking a sip of his coffee and watching his partner's face fall in a 'Here we go' expression.

"Doofus, how many times have we been over this? They. Pour. Coffee. I mean, come on!" She exclaimed with a wave of her hands "Do I tip you when you pour me a crappy cup of coffee from the office machine over there." She pointed her finger in the direction of the office coffee maker for emphasis while Marshall snorted into his cup.

"No, but I think we've established that you don't tip anyone."

This comment earned Marshall a wilting glare from his partner, followed by a swift retort.

"So, you're saying that you would tip me if I poured you a cup of this coffee right now?"

Marshall shrugged. "Yeah."

"Awesome!" Mary said, striding over to the coffee machine and pouring her partner a cup of black coffee that could've been mistaken for road tar. She walked back to Marshall's desk and set the cup down in front of him triumphantly only to have him stand up and literally tip her over.

"What the hell, Marshall?"

He grinned wryly "I said I would _tip_ you if you poured me coffee. Pour me coffee the way I take it and we'll talk about payment."

"Son of a bitch."

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><p>"I can't believe you made me take his call." One Brandi Shannon spoke irately as she stalked into her older sister's room.<p>

Mary rolled her eyes at her younger sister before walking into her closet for her PJs. "Again, I'm not really seeing the problem, Squish. You like him, he likes you, and as far as we know he doesn't have a rap sheet half a mile long."

Brandi groaned "Weren't you the one who said he 'owns half of Albuquerque'? He probably has a lot of women on speed dial."

"Brandi, just because a man is rich doesn't mean he has a harem of women on his payroll." Mary pointed out, exiting the closet clad in her PJs.

The younger Shannon arched a confused eyebrow "A what?"

"Poor, sweet Brandi." Mary shook her head sadly "Please, read a dictionary." Mary said, taking her sister by the shoulders.

"Oh, that's easy for you to say. Your partner's a walking dictionary."

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><p>Mary lay awake trying desperately to grab at the first vestige of sleep, yet every time she managed to fall half-way into sleep, the shrill sound of one of her mother's moans from the next room prompted her to wake up again. She'd lost track of how many times she'd pounded her fist against the wall to no avail. The only reason she hadn't gone into her mother's room to interrupt the…festive activities, was because she didn't want to see what she was hearing. Finally, she just resigned herself to sleeping with a pillow over her head. Man, was Jinx going to get an earful in the morning.<p>

"Good morning, Mary." Jinx spoke in a sickening sing-song voice. "How did you sleep?" She kissed Mary on the head and the sounds from the previous night caused a shudder within the blonde woman.

"Well mom, I slept like anyone does when they have a headboard hitting their wall and they can hear their mother screwing some random stranger." Mary smiled sweetly at Jinx.

"Oh, honey, is this because I never gave you the talk." Jinx cooed dramatically, throwing Mary for a loop.

"What? No, it's because we've talked about this before and I get pissed when I don't get my sleep."

"You know, sex is a very beautiful thing and—" Jinx was interrupted by Mary's raised palm "Mom, I never got a sex talk and I don't need one now. I haven't even been a virgin since I was sixteen" Mary looked as if she was barely holding onto her stomach.

"Are you sure? I—" "I said no!" Mary interrupted again as she added a final comment "You know, just like my room is on the other side of your wall, yours is on the other side of mine. If you don't shut up, you're going to hear something no mother should ever have to hear her daughter doing." Mary smiled, Knowing that she had finally won as her mom merely nodded and left Mary to her own devices.

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><p>Well, that's it for now. It's still a work in progress. Let me know what you think and I'll add more moments. Anyway, thanks for reading, please R&amp;R!<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Alright so, I was more or less getting my footing with part one and I'm happy with how it turn out for the most part. However, I will say that this installment will be much better…and also much more serious. Please, R&R!

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><p>February 5, 1978<p>

It was somewhere around four in the morning and not one light was on in the house. Jinx Shannon, or Ginger, as her husband called her, sat alone in the darkness brooding into the bottom of a near empty whiskey glass. There was an eerie silence in the house, not even a whimper was heard out of the year-old Brandi. It was like the calm before a raging, violent storm which would leave devastation in its wake.

The calmness slowly began to give way within Jinx's alcohol impaired mind as she heard a key being turned in the lock; signaling that James was home.

He walked into the living room and straight towards her, seemingly oblivious to the anger brewing within her.

"Hey, Ginger." He said "Something's happened—" Jinx had boiled over and saw fit to interrupt him at that point.

"Do you have _any _idea what time it is?" Jinx asked loudly. Her voice slurred slightly at she narrowed her bloodshot eyes at her husband. "I'll take a guess. You were out gambling all our money away, weren't you, Jim? Or, maybe you robbed another bank?" Her slurring and temper became less controlled with each word, and by the last sentence she was standing up and shouting.

"You've been drinking again." James said with a tone that masked his hurt but betrayed a slight hint of irritation.

Jinx calmed only slightly and became teary eyed, saying "I wouldn't need to drink if I wasn't constantly worried about the cops showing up at our door!"

"Hey! The only reason I rob banks is to pay for your drinking!" James yelled defensively, turning his back on the inebriated woman.

"Oh, face it, James. You only rob banks because you're a lousy gambler."Jinx scoffed, the bitterness of her whiskey seemingly finding its way into her voice.

James had grown tired of fighting and just let go of his anger with one long sigh. He knew he had to leave and he didn't want this to be the way he spent what could be the last few moments he had with his Ginger. "I have to leave." He said.

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><p>Brandi stood beside Chuck just staring at the suitcase full of white powder. She had seen countless cop shows about people involved in drug deals, but she couldn't believe that she'd become one of them.<p>

"Are you sure about this?" she asked, hoping that he would somehow decide against this. Of all the get-rich quick schemes he'd cooked up since they began dating, this was by far the most insane.

"It's all cool, baby." He cooed as he cupped her face "Once this is all over, we're gonna be rich."

Brandi still wasn't reassured. So many doubts ran through her head all at once, it was hard to know which to address first.

"I don't know, Chuck. I mean, I'm about to fly 2,000 miles and keep a suitcase of meth in my sister's house. That just doesn't feel right."

Chuck smiled a scheming smirk "Hey, hey. We're always sayin' we love each other, right? Those are just empty words if you're not willing to prove it. If you don't do this, I'll know you don't love me and I won't love you anymore."

Brandi wanted to cry. She wanted so badly to back out of this deal, but she also desperately sought the approval of men.

"Okay."

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><p>"So how is Nancy Drew?" Mary asked snidely as the pair watched her drive away after another incident involving a witness.<p>

"She's good." Marshall said, smiling wryly at Mary's jealous tone.

"No, I mean, is she good in bed? I know you did it. Details."

Marshall sighed, "And since when is my coital activity, or my love life as a whole for that matter, you're business." He hadn't really meant it, he was just baiting her into an argument, hoping she might finally show something more than jealousy.

"What?" Mary asked, whipping her head around so fast that Marshall feared her neck might snap "I tell you everything."

"And by everything, I assume you mean the engagement that I was one of the last to know about." Marshall smiled sarcastically and Mary let out a harsh, angry rasp of breath.

"Good God, don't tell me you're still pissy because I didn't tell you as soon as he put the ring on my damn finger!"

"I'm your best friend. I'm your best friend and I had to find out from a tan on your finger." He spoke, still managing to keep his composure despite his burning jealousy and anger.

"Do you wanna know why I didn't tell you? Because I love you enough to spare your feelings!" Both of them stopped short at her words. One moment of weakness and it was out there. It was as close to an admission of love as Mary Shannon could get, but both of them had heard it loud and clear and both were shell-shocked by it.

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><p>So, that's part two. I hope you enjoy it. Don't forget to click the review button!<p> 


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